


Your arms are where I want to remain

by planswehad



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Idiots in Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-29 04:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19822765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/planswehad/pseuds/planswehad
Summary: Max moves to Chicago for University to get away but you take yourself wherever you go.But some places, some people makes us want to change she learns.Or the lumax college AU nobody asked forTags will be updated and Rating may change





	Your arms are where I want to remain

**Author's Note:**

> After finishing season 3 I was a little dissapointed in the lack of depth about the two of them which I totally adore. I loved their banter though which made me finish some form of writing in the first time in forever. Hope you enjoy.

The day had started out so good, El letting her sleep in before she woke her up with hot coco from their pet machine they rarely used. Once both of them refused to drink coffee to this day and second those pets were horrible for the environment, something Max blissfully ignored when the sugary drink warmed her up from the inside and her best friend cuddled up next to her on the outside.   
“What do we want to do today?” El asks her and before Max can answer, something along the lines of seeing a movie or getting fries of a nearby dinner, her best friend had already started speaking again. “Because there is this party…” Max should have known it, as much of a good person her best friend was, hot coco in bed was not something ordinary every weekend. Max sights because techno music and drunk frat boys was the last thing she needed for her precious weekend and El knows this. “And I should care about this, why?” Max asks a little grouchy which El simply decided to ignore and only one look was enough for Max to know exactly /why/. Or the right question would be who. Mister Tall, Dark and Handsome was a topic ever since El had met him in Basic Lit at the start of this semester, he was in the same year as them not meeting in the first year sparred Max two years of the constant longing from her friend. Although her best friend looked like a model, was fiercely intelligent and had a personality that naturally drew people in, the one she actually wanted was painfully unaware of it. At least this is what Max thought while El was unsure if he was interested at all which was highly unlikely. She had even joined a volunteer project about flies, yes this was not a joke Max learned after asking her twice, because he mentioned taking part of it in class. And even though there was a glass of flies living on their windowsill, with new flies every day which was a bit gross, the guy still had not made a move yet. And while boyfriends never stayed around for long in El’s life, he somehow managed to make her crush even grow and Max had the feeling that it was serious this time. El gave her an apologetic smile. “Come on Max, you know I hate going without you and you could also finally meet Mike.” Mike was the name that had left Max brain as soon as she has heard it. Max forced herself to smile at her friend even though she was afraid that her meeting Mike would just end with her telling him to finally make a move and end her suffering. “Fine.” She said without much discussion, because El would win at the end since she was the only person that Max would do almost everything for.  
It was thirty minutes after nine as they slowly finished getting ready, which was just showering in getting dressed in her case after she had spend the day in bed binging Netflix for at least some quality time on a Saturday.   
Max was running her hand through her wavy red hair that she wore this way since forever, besides a colouring attempt in ninth grade that made her look she was about to throw up for four months straight, before she grabbed her black leather jacket.   
El was excitingly humming along to the pop song that was blasting from the old radio that her dad has gifted them moving into the small flat. She was working on a “no-makeup” look since the last 15 minutes while her thick hair was falling in perfectly made curls over her shoulder. If Tall, Dark and Handsome would not do anything tonight he was plain stupid. While Max always had a hard time with Boys, or people in general, for more reason than one El was the complete opposite. Her best friend was just one of those girls that stood out, with her full lips and perfectly clean skin paired with a killer body from years of dancing along with an easy going personality there were not much guys that had not been interested i her over the years. Max would rather cut her tongue off than admit that she sometimes felt very plain compared to her even though she told herself was not so superficial to get caught up in this and she went off to anyone that reduces El to her beauty, but it still stung sometimes.   
“Do I look okay?” El asked her and got her out of her headspace as she looked up at Max, an unsure smile on her lips. “You look amazing and if Mike does not pull you in the next dark corner he can find he is stupid.” Max said which made her friend blush, probably thinking about Mike and dark corners. “Thank you, I feel like I am 12 or something. It is ridiculous.” After one more brush over her hair she got up to grab her classy black boots and Max reached for her chucks. “With how long this takes you two it seems like you are 12 sometimes.” Max teased her before she found some more encouraging words while they went outside the door.   
The small apartment was just a few minutes away from campus, just as affordable as the dorms and they did not have to share rooms. While Max paid most of the rent, her family came from money and Max felt not bad at all taking the money from her every absent father, it was Els dad who had drove all their stuff from California here and helped them to set everything up and her friend had made this place the only home Max had ever known. Growing up in big houses had made the lack of love in there even more unbearable and Max would choose the small flat full of clutter over California anyday.  
With the guidance of google maps they found the house that was about fifteen minutes walking distance easily. The party had already started as the chatter of people and some Chainsmokers song was blasting when they arrived. Max scrunched her nose at the music choice while El was opening the door only to almost crash with a seemingly tipsy boy with the famous red cup in his hand. “El.” He said and grinned at her before he wandered his eyes over her outfit, eyes hanging on the bare skin between her dress and boots. “You look smoking.” He said before El easily thanked “Mark” while Max rolled her eyes. She was way too nice for her own good“This is Max.” El said even though Mark had not asked. He nodded at her before he told them about the drinks and guided them torwards the kitchen where he makes them drinks while El scanned over the party guests.   
“Is he here?” Max asked as they finally got rid of Mark who got called over by one of his friends. “I have not seen him yet, but his friends are here.” El said and pointed her chin towards a group of guys that were standing near the stairs.   
Max lifted her head and looked at them, one of them beeing Will Byers whos painting won some national art contest and had been proudly presented at the end of the Semester and hung in the main building ever since. The other one, about the same height as him with wild curls was talking animated to him and Max eyes went upwards to the third person that was standing taller than the other two. Talking about Tall, Dark and Handsome Max had to swallow as she took the guy in. His curls were standing in every direction and his dark skin almost seemed to glow in the artificial lighting and as hereyes wandered to his hand that was wrapped around a beer bottle and suddenly she felt the uneasy weight on her chest like always when she found someone attractive. And he was /so/ attractive. “Stop looking so noticable.” El whispered and Max blinked before she looked at her friend. “Sorry..” She started to apologize before all of her friends attention to the stairs where an even taller boy was coming down and Max immediately knew that he had to be Mike. With being all tall and lanky and his unruly black curls he looked like he could be a in a guitar based band or play in some artsy indie movie where the weather was always cloudy, El liked that type. “This is him.” She whispered and nervously runned her hand through her hair. Before she could say anything Mike had already spotted them and stopped in his tracks looking over at El before awkwardly lifting his hand to wave at her friend while some drunken girl almost stumbled into him. El giggled next to her before she waved back which made Mike smile before he realized that he was blocked the stairs and started walking before he joined his friends who just grinned amused at him. “You are such a drama queen.” Max said to her friend who’s gaze still lingered on Mike. “Why?” She asked which made Max roll her eyes. “Because it is so obviously he is into you, Jesus, I can not believe I had to hear you wonder for the last five months just for him looking at you like the sun is shining out of your ass.”   
“Max.” El laughed and shook her head. “But you really think so?” She asks and Max just glances at her because she is to old for this seventh grade shit. “Yes and now we are going over and get the boy. Than you can finally make out to Wheezer and go to Brunch or whatever couples do.” She decided and grabbed her friends hand before she pulls them over to the group of Guys.   
More often than not Max acts out of heat of the moment and sixteen feet are not exactly enough time to make up an opening line as they reach the friend group. Gladly Mike looks so happy to see El that he does not even seem to mind that they just crushed into their circle. “Hey.” He says lamely but her friend smiles as if he had said something amazing and it is kinda cute, really. “I didn't know you would be here tonight.” He adds and his friend wear a shit eating grin on their faces and Max has to stop herself from doing the same thing. “Yeah it was a kinda last minute decision.” Lies Mrs. “No make up-make up. “This is my best friend Max.” She introduces Max who grins into the circle and stops herself from lingering on Mikes handsome friend who turned out to be Lucas. “And do you like the party so far?” Dustin, the other friend Max had not known before asks them. “The music is pretty shit. The only thing that would make it worse is them playing David Guetta but we luckily left that in 2012.” Max easily answers and Lucas laughs at that and his laugh is unfairly attractive as well. “Thank god you said that.” Dustin agrees with her. “I mean come on.. Closer was a tune.” Will adds his two cents to it. “Find two white guys in their 20s and replace them with the Chainsmokers, nobody would notice.” Lucas says to that and Max actually grins at that and bumps her cup against his. When he smiles at her it feels like air is trapped in her chest and she quickly looks down into her empty cup, calling herself out for it.   
Mike, who had spend most of the conversation making eyes at her friend in the most obvious way, realizes that they are all mostly out of drinks and El is quick to jump in to help him as he leaves for the kitchen. Dustin lets out a sigh and shakes his head at the both of them. “Our son has like no game.” He says and shakes his head disappointed which makes the others grin. “But seriously, what is he waiting for?” She asks because it seems to be common knowledge around here that Mike is into El. “What is she waiting for?” Lucas asks back with an amused glint in his eyes and she has to admit that he does have a point. “I mean we pretty much know that both of them act like it is their first crush.” Will chipes in and breaks their gaze to which all of them nod their head. “Yeah maybe you have a point but that is not PG 13 anymore.” Lucas suddenly points out and they all look towards the kitchen where both of their friends are kissing, or eating each others faces off. Not even the whistle that Dustin sends their way seems to face them, both wearing a love drunken smile on their face as they pull away.   
The rest of the night passes quickly since the boys are pleasant to be around, firing her sarcasm right back at her and Max can not remember laughing this hard in a while. And El looks so happy with Mikes arm around her that you can almost feel the energy puzzing of her.   
The more tipsy she gets the less she can ignore how it feels like her skin is burning whenever Lucas looking at her which he does a lot when he asks her question. He actually seems to be impressed at her mayor, could never do all this writing and argumenting for politics he says and only grins wider when she makes a joke about engineers. Every small information he shares she saves into her brain. He grew up in a smaller town with Mike, his favourite food are spring rolls, he watches X-files when he can not sleep and he joined the Basketball team in his first year here.   
He kills any of her hope for him just ruining her attraction to him when he starts quoting Brooklyn 99 and smiles brightly at her when she is the only one who gets it.   
All of the boys end up walking them home, even after Max insisted that they can do it alone and she is thankful because she is there to witness Dustin and Will growling along to Paris that Will had in his playlist. “They will blame it on the alcohol tomorrow.” Lucas says beside her, El and Mike let themselves fall back from the beginning. “That would be very bold when all they had was fruity beer.” Max grins at the two boys so she doesn’t have to look at the boy to her right. “They will try but I will not leave that down.” Lucas promises and Max tells him she would be disappointed in him if he would. She is almost a little sad as they reach their flat, Dustin and Will moving on to Something Like this at this point. “It was nice meeting you.” Dustin says as he just pulls her into a bear hug. “Don’t be a stranger.” He adds as he gives her room to breathe. “I am afraid I can’t even if I wanted to.” Max says and looks at Mike and El that were just now arriving, El wearing Mike's shirt and with their hands locked together. “Fucking finally.” Will says before he gives her a quick hug and Max can not argue with that. “I suppose there are worse things than having us around Max.” Lucas adds and she likes the way she says her name and as his tall frame wrapps around her she finds out that he also smells good. Life was not fair.   
“We see about that.” She says playfully before she has to let go off him and waves at Mike who stays outside with El while she climbs up the stairs.  
After brushing her teeth and changing into her pyjama El has still not come back and Max was already half asleep as she knocks on her door before she comes in. She is still wearing Mikes shirt that looks more like a dress on her and has a make up wipe in her hand. “Are you still awake?” She asks and Max yawns before she opens her eyes again. “Now I am.” She says and lifts the blanket for El to join her in the bed. She is still smiling widely, Max can tell even though her room is almost pitch black. “I am so happy.” Her best friend says into the dark. “I can tell.” She says but there is a fondness in her voice, El lets herself fall next to her and in the next thirty minutes she learns what a great kisser or great everything Mike is. “What do you think about him?” El asks as she is done retelling their kitchen kiss for the second time. “He seems less of a idiot like the others before him.” Max says and El is beaming because she knows that this is a compliment and she cares what Max thinks, a lot. “And his friends were nice as well, right?” She wonders and Max hums in agreement because this makes it not easier not to think about pretty boys that are six feet tall and play basketball.


End file.
